Friday, September 5, 2014

Fall Distractions

by Deanna


I think we need the distractions of Fall.  We have had a summer filled with rather grim news, the civil unrest in Ferguson, MO had a similar look to Baghdad, more threats from the Islamic States, the devastating effects of the Ebola virus in Africa.  Now combine all this with the droughts in California, the crisis on the Mexican border, the sad death of Robin Williams, the loss of faith in our elected official….so yes, a distraction is definitely needed. 


Fall brings, along with it its distractions, a sense of order that can’t be found in the non-structured schedule of summertime.  Fall brings back a more ordered life, a new season of football, a brand-new season of TV (altho some may be cancelled in the first 2 weeks) and to those with young children, a new school year.  And to us photographers glorious colors and golden light to capture. 

This age of constant breaking news, through our computers, through our smart phones,  even on large screen TV’s when I enter the bank or a restaurant surrounds us continually. A professor at Purdue University, Glenn Sparks, recently stated “The research clearly shows that when the predominant characteristic of the news flow is negative, people can really be affected by that in terms of their overall mood state. There can even be reactions that resemble post-traumatic stress symptoms when it’s really severe.”


So again I say....I think we definitely NEED the distractions of Fall.  Pull out those sweaters, bake something with pumpkin in the ingredients, revel in the cool days and even cooler evenings.  Grab that camera and capture those brilliant colors that come and go so quickly. 



This is not to say that we should forget about the problems, or that we should stop listening to breaking news, it just means we need to take a mental break from all the bad news and welcome the beautiful distractions of Fall.  

15 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh, Deanna, your images today are breathtaking! every single one of them. I need to hear other people talk about how distressing world (and local) news is. I've been feeling overwhelmed of late and I have to admit I am avoiding the news at all costs, especially since it kept me awake half the night one night. I listen to headlines at noon, catch the weather, and off it goes.

terriporter said...

This is the time of year that I wished I lived in a place where there is fall. I can tolerate the heat of summer but when I see images like yours, I long for a place with crisp autumn air and the glorious colors of fall. As far as the news goes, I'm like an ostrich with my head in the sand. My mother worries all the time about the things she hears on the news and I just tell her not to watch. I just scrolled up to look at your images again. So beautiful! I will have to come back here and revisit them when I need a little taste of fall. As for me, it's supposed to be 105 here today!

Anonymous said...

This fall distraction is very welcomed! I try not to listen to the breaking news…not that Im not concerned, I just feel like a single person all alone in a world thats out of control, and its very depressing! So yes…its time for distraction! Thanks for the wonderful post, and I love the photos…my fav is the blue jar with a fall twig!

Kim Stevens said...

I will have live through your fall distractions...won't be any sign of that here any time soon. For me...I have up TV during the day a year and a half ago and only watch about 3-5 hours of it a week. I can't handle all the negativity and the sensationalism..I either read the news or listen to radio occasionally to get the latest important news (or call my daughter, haha)

Love the shoe shot - so cute.

Viv@Thoughts from the Desktop said...

Deanna your images let me sink in and enjoy. This constant news cycle that is part of our life now can cause so much negativity that sometimes we just need to turn off.

Jeanne said...

Beautiful shots Deanna, as always, and yes, Fall is a great distraction. Hope it does not go by as fast as summer did. hard to imagine that it is here already!

kelly said...

totally right there with you deanna. won't be long for us now...planning to savor every minute of it.

Dotti said...

Such pretty fall photos. Let the color show begin! {And let's turn off the 24/7 news chatter before it makes head cases of us all.}

Unknown said...

Beautiful photos & beautiful thoughts from a very beautiful lady!

Sarah Huizenga said...

This is why I only watch the news at the gym, while I am listening to music, softens the blow of reality.

Liz said...

What gorgeous Autumn images Deanna!
I avoid the news as much as I can as I know how it affects my mood.

Carol said...

We have really gathered a like-minded group here, haven't we. Yup - limited news, work for the good, and enjoy the beauty. Wag more, bark less.That's where it's at, baby!
Your images today are stunning! You just keep getting better and better and better ( and you were way ahead at the start!)

Sandra said...

Beautiful autumn. A time to take stock and look back briefly on what has been to be totally free to enjoy the moment we are in. I love that second shot of that turquoise glass jar holding some autumn leaves.

Kia said...

Such pretty autumn photos, Deanna! :)

Anita Johnson said...

I couldn't agree more...these are beautiful!

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